The Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) continues to attach great attention to children with cancer through its “Ana” childhood cancer initiative launched in 2014 to promote awareness about cancers afflicting children, and provide medical, financial and moral support to young patients in their fight against the disease.

Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), and International Ambassador for the World Cancer Declaration of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), FOCP succeeded has succeeded in bringing back vitality and hope to a number of children with cancer among the 4,200 cancer patients and families it has offered financial and moral support.

Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi is also the UICC International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer and Patron of the Global Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance Forum.

According to latest statistics, 300,000 children are diagnosed with cancer worldwide every year, 80% of whom live in developing countries where survival rate is as low as 20%, compared to 80% in developed countries. Leukemia is the most prevalent childhood cancer, responsible for one-third of occurrence in children less than 15 years of age, and affects 25% children under 20 year-age group. Medical statistics and research confirm that 80% of cancer cases can be fully treated if detected early.

Leukemia is a cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue, usually the bone marrow, leading to overproduction of abnormal white blood cells – part of the immune system that defends the body against infection. A range of risk factors including environmental triggers like exposure to radiation, chemical and radiation treatment as well as cases of congenital immunodeficiency, can cause leukemia.

Marwa, the 18-year old cancer survivor, is one of the best examples of how strong resolve can overcome any challenge. Her survival story bears several inspiring lessons of patience and faith in one’s will to live, no matter what their conditions are. Marwa was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 when she was only seven years old. Sharing her daughter’s battle with cancer, Amina Ahmed Mohammed said: “My daughter first suffered from acute joint pain and sleep disorders –the reason why we took her to a clinic where the doctor recommended that she must undergo a range of medical examinations and blood tests, which eventually determined that she developed leukemia, type ALL.”

Speaking of their family’s experience with FoCP, Amina said: “We were told about FOCP by a teacher at the school were Marwa was enrolled. We contacted the organisation as Marwa’s teacher advised us to do so, and we received the warmest welcome. FOCP provided us with all forms of support, and referred us to Tawam hospital where we stayed permanently for six months. During this time, Marwa was subjected to intensive therapy sessions, and mercifully, she has fully recovered and resumed normal life.”

There is probably no prospect scarier for a parent imagining their child being diagnosed with cancer, and most of the times the shock is paralyzing, and disables parents from thinking straight or taking corrective action.

About her experience, Amina said: “Came as the biggest shock when the doctor broke the news. Eventually, I began assembling my coherence and my efforts to address this critical phase of our lives, especially our daughter’s. I gave myself no choice but to stand by her till she recovered fully.”

She added: “I was full of hope about my daughter’s recovery – a feeling that prompted me to encourage her to respond to treatment, which was difficult for her, especially in the first period. We also received great support and encouragement by FOCP, reassured us about the possibility of complete recovery explaining that the cancer was detected early. Thanks to Allah Almighty, the FOCP and her treating staff at the hospital, Marwa was nursed back to health after six months of treatment. She is quite stable now and continues to take some medications.”

Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FOCP, said: “Coinciding with the International Childhood Cancer Day, which falls on February 15 of each year, it is imperative for us to highlight the immensurable efforts of Sheikha Jawaher to reduce the spread of cancer locally and globally.”

In childhood cancer, especially leukemia, chances of survival increase if detected early, because it is a type of blood and lymphoma malignancy. This disease can be controlled even if cancer cells spread to other parts of the body, if the patient finds immediate care and proper treatment, Dr. Al Madhi noted.

She added: “We advise parents about the importance of observing symptoms and changes in their children – often the key determinant of full recovery. If symptoms like dizziness, nausea, skin itching, headache, fatigue, general body weakness, difficulty breathing and pale skin persist, these are alarm bells that must be heard by parents and taken to the doctor immediately.”

Dr. Al Madhi went on to say: “Parents can play an active role in controlling pain experienced by their offspring dealing with cancers. Togetherness is an essential ingredient, a magical element that tackles pain. Disseminating information to parents is crucial to ensure good care for the sick child. The more parents know about controlling pain, the more effective they will be in alleviating the sufferings of their sick child.”

Sheikha Jawaher’s efforts in fighting childhood cancer
As the UICC International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer and the Patron of the Global Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance Forum, Sheikha Jawaher has repeated her call for promoting global awareness of childhood cancer and providing the care needed to alleviate the sufferings of young children with cancer.
Over the past few years, Sheikha Jawaher launched several humanitarian initiatives that aimed to improve the health, educational and living conditions of children worldwide. In 2013, she visited the Children’s Cancer Centre of Lebanon, an affiliate of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the USA, where she met with patients and presented a library of children’s books to the hospital.
In April 2014, Sheikha Jawaher participated in the 11th African Conference of International Society for Pediatric Oncology, which was held in Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania, in collaboration with UICC and International Society for Pediatric Oncology. In September the same year, Sheikha Jawaher visited New York-based Presbyterian Cancer Hospital, an affiliate of the Columbia University’s Medical Center where she launched the global initiative ‘Heroes Bag’ – initiative that presents cancer-affected children with special bags containing books, toys and other gifts to bring them happiness and add quality to their lives

Funding PACS System at CCHE 57357 in Egypt
In 2015, Sheikha Jawaher donated EGP 10 million to the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE 57357) in Cairo, the largest pediatric cancer hospital in the Arab region, enabling its administration to introduce the picture and communication archiving system (PACS), which became operational in June 2016.
In May 2015, the hospital opened a new wing named after Sheikha Jawaher in recognition of her generosity in providing financial support for the treatment of children with cancer. A banner displayed at the wing bearing her name and her words of encouragement for young patients: “You are the hero of your story, and you will always be in my heart.”
In January 2018, the emirate hosted a specialist oncology roundtable, ‘Access to Essential Medicines for Children with Cancer’ (Sharjah Portage), under the patronage of Sheikha Jawaher. The event brought together 60 senior officials from international organisations and entities, as well as physicians, health and medical experts from around the world, to address the best solutions for childhood cancer, and treatment essentials like medicines and radiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries. It also sought to provide a strategic action plan that ensures implementing an integrated approach to achieve these objectives.

The event also aimed to define innovative financing mechanisms and identify partners to implement priority initiatives, as well as establish effective communication methods between medical entities and stakeholders in order to coordinate efforts to combat pediatric cancer.

Dr. Bou Orm’s research interests, as a Materials Chemist, focuses on the design, preparation and characterization of hybrid nanomaterials and catalysts for environmental applications especially for water treatment (PAH, other organic pollutants removals, and de-nitration)

Her research work is a multi-disciplinary that consists of the combination and expertise in the inorganic and coordination chemistry, sol-gel, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, hybrid nanomaterials, heterogeneous and environmental catalysis. She has worked on the Aza-Michael and Heck reaction in preparation of organic molecules for the functionalization of the surface of her researched materials. Moreover, Dr. Bou Orm has also developed a molecular approach “bottom-up & one pot” in order to obtain crystallized metal oxide nanoparticles with a better control of the surface of functionalization. Furthermore, she also managed to control the adsorption by the type of on-surface function of the materials. One of her achievements is that she has successfully added a new benefit to the powders by functionalizing the nanocomposites based on textiles, which allowed treating bigger volumes of polluted water effectively within shorter time; in addition to developing a wide range of nanomaterials that are more efficient in terms of adsorption and recyclability in comparison with the commercial solids (Strata-C18, HLB, Envi-Carb, SBSE, Envi-disk).

Dr. Bou Orm has also worked with western research governmental authorities on the development of heterogeneous catalysts and the preparation of nanomaterials for selective extraction of Lithium in the brines in Argentina.

Yousuf Abdulla AlMulla

Yousuf AlMulla is a senior executive specialized in corporate strategy, operations and corporate finance. He has a wealth of experience from his entrepreneurial and corporate background and government roles and has contributed to the development of many strategic projects in UAE. He started his career as an entrepreneur and worked his way to a senior leadership role in the corporate world. For the last five years, Yousuf has been the Chief Strategy Officer at one of the largest conglomerate in the region where he focused on corporate governance, innovation & digitalization, strategy & business plan development, and risk management.

In 2008, he was part of the team at The Executive Council of Dubai that setup The Consulting Office, the management consulting company that was later named TCO Management Consulting. His tenure at the company lasted four years ending in 2012. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2010, following his position as Head of Strategy, Business Development and Alliances, which was a role he held from 2008 to 2010. During his time at TCO, he leveraged his entrepreneurial expertise to lead the company in achieving its vision and developing its 2012-2015 growth strategy. He also advised senior leadership in the Dubai government and the UAE federal government on high-level strategic and innovation projects.

In his former capacity as Associate Project Manager of the Innovation and
Development Unit at the Executive Office, from 2006 to 2007, AlMulla was in
charge of developing and implementing financial efficiency programs across a wide range of government departments, as well as setting an educational endowment fund. Additionally, he had a significant contribution to the development of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, and the establishment of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. His other achievements at the Executive Office included advising the Minor Affairs Foundation on their investment policy.

AlMulla’s previous experience included his advisory and operational role with Dubai Autodrome to setup the business and organize the 1st international track motor race in the region in 2004. He also worked with his family to setup and manage Hotels from 2003 to 2006. Moreover, AlMulla is passionate on turning new business ideas into reality where he was involved in development of several enterprises such as real estate financing, hospitality management, sports management, and technology start-ups.

He currently serves on board of Endeavor UAE, E11 Capital (a VC based in San
Francisco), Kairos Society (global startup platform based in NYC), and 55FiftyFive Diamond Design Studio (jewelry design startup in Dubai). Moreover, he is involved with several strategic government initiatives to promote and enhance entrepreneurship ecosystem in UAE.

AlMulla holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, Masters in Public Administration from Lee Kuan School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a BSc in Business Administration with concentration in Corporate Finance from Marshall Business School at University of Southern California (USC).

Dr. Saba Al Heialy

Dr. Saba Al Heialy is an assistant professor of Immunology at Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 2008 from Universite du Quebec a Montreal (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). In 2013, she obtained her PhD from McGill University (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) from the department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. She trained at the Meakins-Christie laboratories, a leading research center in respiratory medicine, under the supervision of Dr. James G. Martin. Her thesis work focused on the interaction between T cells and airway smooth muscle cells in allergic asthma. She was awarded many scholarships and awards throughout her PhD including the James Hogg Award in 2012 for her work on nanotubes in T cells. Between 2013 and 2016, she was a senior lecturer of Physiology at Alfaisal University (Riyadh, KSA) and served as director of first year medical students. During her time at Alfaisal University, she worked on the bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses in acute lung injury with Dr.Peter Kvietys. Dr. Al Heialy’s research currently focuses on asthma and allergies with a specific look at mechanisms of steroid resistance in obese asthmatics. In 2017, she was awarded the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East fellowship for her work on the role of Th17 cells and GR-beta in steroid resistance in obese asthmatics. She currently teaches medical students and is involved in the supervision of graduate students both in the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia.

Thierry Pichon

Born and raised across all continents, Thierry Pichon began his career in Australia after completing his International MBA specialized in Marketing. Thierry brings a wealth of retail experience and brand management after working with Louis Vuitton Maison des Champs-Élysées and Gucci as President of Hong Kong and Macau, and L Capital. Thierry moved to Dubai to join Chalhoub Group in
December 2017 where he is now leading homegrown and internationally recognized concepts Level Shoes and Level Kids. His strong understanding of luxury fashion and his love for art stems from working across different international markets which has resulted in his appreciation of cultural diversity and global awareness of consumer trends.

Hind Al Huwaidi

A passionate individual with a keen interest in environmental issues, Hind joined Bee’ah in 2011, and has played an instrumental role in leading the company’s CSR initiatives ever since then.

Within her current role of leading Bee’ah’s educational initiatives, Hind is responsible for devising and implementing the strategic objectives of the Beeʼah School of Environment, a bilingual educational environmental initiative that is reaching hundreds of thousands of students across the UAE. She also manages and organizes the Environmental Excellence School Award (EESA), and the Inter- School Recycling Competition (ISRC).

Hind graduated from the University of Sharjah with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences. Hind also graduated from the illustrious Sharjah Leadership Programme in 2017.

H.E Nuha Mohammed Safar

Nuha Safar is an Emirati Businesswoman, with 20 years of experience in Formation and Execution of Organizational and Corporate Communication Strategies, and Management of International and Local Affairs. She is the Co-founder and the Managing Director for Life Keys institution, which focuses on training and coaching women, of all ages, through designing programs that will positively impact their self-realization, purpose in life, selfesteem, and lifestyle, and she is the Chairperson of the Middle East beachhead advisory
board of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

She worked as the Head of Corporate Communication for Majid Al Futtaim properties, setting up the properties group communication policies and procedures, developing and executing the communication strategy across different countries that the group operates in. Prior to that, she worked at Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry for more than 10 years managing the Corporate Communication, External Relations, and Customer Service Centers. In addition to leading different Dubai based business/ CSR initiatives and campaigns, she as well organized various regional and international events Promoting Dubai and the UAE as a business hub.

Nuha is a forming member of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award, and managed to tie up Dubai Chamber with well-respected international and local charitable organizations (such as the UNICEF, MSF, WFP and UAE Red Crescent) through running awareness and fund raising campaigns. She served as well on different boards including Dubai Brand Council, UAE Advertisers Business Group, Dubai the City that Cares, Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Al Noor Center for Children with Special Needs, and currently is the Vice Chairperson of Friends of Cancer Patients.

She holds an Executive Master Degree in Positive Leadership and Strategy from IE university – Madrid, Spain, Higher Diploma in Business Administration from the Higher Colleges of Technology – Dubai Women’s College, and graduated from Mohammad Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development which teaches various master classes from leading business schools such as Cranfield Business School and Singapore Business School. Nuha is a certified trainer by British International Academy for Training and Development